Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
How to Improve Amazon Wireless - User Story, Feature Proposal, Challenges and Solutions
I came across Amazon Wireless wireless.amazon.com and found no dramatic differentiation as compared to shopping for cell phone on Amazon's main website www.amazon.com. It got me thinking, what could Amazon do to make its vertical micro-sites more effective and buyer-friendly. Below I have proposed what can be done to improve Amazon Wireless by providing a user story depicting the problem faced by a typical cell phone buyer, feature proposal to solve that problem, and technical and business challenges/solutions in implementing the solution.
Overview
Shopping for cell phone is not a pleasant process, specifically when you also have to shop for wireless plans to suit your needs and deal with the rebates often promised when you sign up for new two-year contract. Amazon Wireless aims to make it easier. This document proposes a new feature to enhance the user buying experience for cell phones and service plans.
User Story - Understanding The Context Of A Typical Cell Phone User
Let's take profile of Jennifer Wilson, who is a working mom and obviously busy. She is due for a cell phone upgrade. She is currently using a voice-only phone and now wants to upgrade to voice+data phone so that she can keep track of her personal and work schedules as well as overlay schedules of her kid's after-school activities. Her knowledge of current smart phones is limited and she is not particularly keen on doing in-depth research of smartphones either. She knows that she is willing to spend about $50 per month for a voice+data plan and she doesn't mind signing up for new two-year contract if she can get a free phone in return. However, in order to get a good phone to last for atleast the period of the contract, she doesn't mind spending upto $50 on the cell phone device. With this data, she is hoping for a magic wand which she can wave and finalize her decision on her purchase. She has been a loyal Amazon customer, and she heard about Amazon Wireless. But when she lands on wireless.amazon.com, she is dealt with list of phones that she knows nothing about, and is not interested in learning more about them as well. All she wants is a reliable phone and a good service plan for a reasonable price.
Feature Proposal
For serving Jennifer Wilson (a typical customer described above), Amazon Wireless can provide a feature which asks user for some very basic information and help them make a purchasing decision. The picture below shows the information requested from the user who, someone like Jennifer, can easily answer and get a list of phones suiting her exact daily life needs. Such a feature will enhance the buying experience for a cell phone as well as service plans.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE SCREENSHOT
Challenges
In implementing this feature, there are several challenges - both engineering and business - that needs to be overcome. The high level challenges and their proposed solution are listed below.
Engineering Challenges And Solutions
User Profile Sensitivity Indicator For Cell Phone
Problem Statement: How can cell phone(s) be mapped to a User Profile? i.e. given a user profile, how can Amazon Wireless determine which set of cell phones are highly relevant?
Input: Data provided by user: spending capacity per month for service plan (voice only, or voice+ data), spending capacity on device itself, willingness to sign two-year contract for getting a bargain (free) on cell phone.
High Level Solution:
1. Build user's technology profile (i.e. technology footprint) from purchase history if available and rate her on a scale of 1-10. This can be based on user's past technology product purchase from Amazon.com, or relevant reviews on technology products. If user is deemed to be technologically literate
2. For the scenario where technology profile cannot be built predictably because there is no purchase history or there isn't any relevant information in purchase history, then Amazon Wireless can provide broad profiles for user to choose from. The profiles can range from Working Mom, Road Warrior Business Traveler, Small Business Owner, Parent buying phone for their teenager kid, etc).
3. Each profile has to be mapped to a set of cell phones. This can be done at the point of data entry by vendor for each cell phone. This mapping can be further improved by learning about purchases made by users on AmazonWireless.
4. Once the user's technology profile is evaluated, a set of highly relevant cell phones can be provided to user to choose from. Note, that these cell phones have to be overlayed with the relevant service plan depending on the user's willingness to spend on service plan on a monthly basis.
Equalizing Service Plans
Problem Statement: How can cell phone service plans from different vendors be equalized for fair and exact comparison, so that the user doesn't have to compare herself?
Input: User's zip code, service plan data provided by vendors
Solution: While business development can play a key role in equalizing the service plans from different vendors by mandating requirements for doing so (see section 'Business Challenges' below), from the engineering side following can be done:
1. Define categories that define parameters of a service plan - Anytime minutes, Night and Weekend start and end times, Additional minute charge, per SMS charge, etc
2. Using the above parameters, specifically Anytime Minutes, come up with per minute cost for each plan which can used as a guidance to equalize the service plans. The algorithm can also take into consideration the rollover minutes and provide user dollar amount for a range of minutes used for a particular interval (monthly, quarterly, yearly).
Business Challenges
Both the above engineering challenges can also be complemented with solutions from business side as well, as listed below:
All Cell Phones Are not Equal
Assumption: Cell phone vendors provide the data for each device they list on selling on Amazon.
The ability to show highly relevant results to user (depending on their profile) depends on the data for each cell phone provided by the vendor. On business side, if there is a process of getting data from vendors to describe their cell phones depending on the parameters expected by the engineering solution for showing relevant phones, it would greatly improve the search experience and also make the purchase experience more user friendly.
All Service Plans Are not Equal
Amazon Wireless can play a key role in bringing about an order in the chaos of choosing wireless service vendor and also service plans for each vendor. In return for volume business, Amazon can demand uniform structure of service plans from different vendors. A classical example of 99cents song purchase from Apple's iTunes. It was a monumental effort on part of Apple to help music industry see the value of selling single song for 99 cents as opposed to entire album. It was able to do so and now is reaping the rewards.
Making wireless service providers to agree on a uniform service plan structure is no less than a monumental effort, but if done successfully can be a very rewarding deal for Amazon.
NOTE: You can read a similar document capturing How to Improve LinkedIn here.
Overview
Shopping for cell phone is not a pleasant process, specifically when you also have to shop for wireless plans to suit your needs and deal with the rebates often promised when you sign up for new two-year contract. Amazon Wireless aims to make it easier. This document proposes a new feature to enhance the user buying experience for cell phones and service plans.
User Story - Understanding The Context Of A Typical Cell Phone User
Let's take profile of Jennifer Wilson, who is a working mom and obviously busy. She is due for a cell phone upgrade. She is currently using a voice-only phone and now wants to upgrade to voice+data phone so that she can keep track of her personal and work schedules as well as overlay schedules of her kid's after-school activities. Her knowledge of current smart phones is limited and she is not particularly keen on doing in-depth research of smartphones either. She knows that she is willing to spend about $50 per month for a voice+data plan and she doesn't mind signing up for new two-year contract if she can get a free phone in return. However, in order to get a good phone to last for atleast the period of the contract, she doesn't mind spending upto $50 on the cell phone device. With this data, she is hoping for a magic wand which she can wave and finalize her decision on her purchase. She has been a loyal Amazon customer, and she heard about Amazon Wireless. But when she lands on wireless.amazon.com, she is dealt with list of phones that she knows nothing about, and is not interested in learning more about them as well. All she wants is a reliable phone and a good service plan for a reasonable price.
Feature Proposal
For serving Jennifer Wilson (a typical customer described above), Amazon Wireless can provide a feature which asks user for some very basic information and help them make a purchasing decision. The picture below shows the information requested from the user who, someone like Jennifer, can easily answer and get a list of phones suiting her exact daily life needs. Such a feature will enhance the buying experience for a cell phone as well as service plans.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE SCREENSHOT
Challenges
In implementing this feature, there are several challenges - both engineering and business - that needs to be overcome. The high level challenges and their proposed solution are listed below.
Engineering Challenges And Solutions
User Profile Sensitivity Indicator For Cell Phone
Problem Statement: How can cell phone(s) be mapped to a User Profile? i.e. given a user profile, how can Amazon Wireless determine which set of cell phones are highly relevant?
Input: Data provided by user: spending capacity per month for service plan (voice only, or voice+ data), spending capacity on device itself, willingness to sign two-year contract for getting a bargain (free) on cell phone.
High Level Solution:
1. Build user's technology profile (i.e. technology footprint) from purchase history if available and rate her on a scale of 1-10. This can be based on user's past technology product purchase from Amazon.com, or relevant reviews on technology products. If user is deemed to be technologically literate
2. For the scenario where technology profile cannot be built predictably because there is no purchase history or there isn't any relevant information in purchase history, then Amazon Wireless can provide broad profiles for user to choose from. The profiles can range from Working Mom, Road Warrior Business Traveler, Small Business Owner, Parent buying phone for their teenager kid, etc).
3. Each profile has to be mapped to a set of cell phones. This can be done at the point of data entry by vendor for each cell phone. This mapping can be further improved by learning about purchases made by users on AmazonWireless.
4. Once the user's technology profile is evaluated, a set of highly relevant cell phones can be provided to user to choose from. Note, that these cell phones have to be overlayed with the relevant service plan depending on the user's willingness to spend on service plan on a monthly basis.
Equalizing Service Plans
Problem Statement: How can cell phone service plans from different vendors be equalized for fair and exact comparison, so that the user doesn't have to compare herself?
Input: User's zip code, service plan data provided by vendors
Solution: While business development can play a key role in equalizing the service plans from different vendors by mandating requirements for doing so (see section 'Business Challenges' below), from the engineering side following can be done:
1. Define categories that define parameters of a service plan - Anytime minutes, Night and Weekend start and end times, Additional minute charge, per SMS charge, etc
2. Using the above parameters, specifically Anytime Minutes, come up with per minute cost for each plan which can used as a guidance to equalize the service plans. The algorithm can also take into consideration the rollover minutes and provide user dollar amount for a range of minutes used for a particular interval (monthly, quarterly, yearly).
Business Challenges
Both the above engineering challenges can also be complemented with solutions from business side as well, as listed below:
All Cell Phones Are not Equal
Assumption: Cell phone vendors provide the data for each device they list on selling on Amazon.
The ability to show highly relevant results to user (depending on their profile) depends on the data for each cell phone provided by the vendor. On business side, if there is a process of getting data from vendors to describe their cell phones depending on the parameters expected by the engineering solution for showing relevant phones, it would greatly improve the search experience and also make the purchase experience more user friendly.
All Service Plans Are not Equal
Amazon Wireless can play a key role in bringing about an order in the chaos of choosing wireless service vendor and also service plans for each vendor. In return for volume business, Amazon can demand uniform structure of service plans from different vendors. A classical example of 99cents song purchase from Apple's iTunes. It was a monumental effort on part of Apple to help music industry see the value of selling single song for 99 cents as opposed to entire album. It was able to do so and now is reaping the rewards.
Making wireless service providers to agree on a uniform service plan structure is no less than a monumental effort, but if done successfully can be a very rewarding deal for Amazon.
NOTE: You can read a similar document capturing How to Improve LinkedIn here.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
James Cameron's Virtual Camera Technology - Can it Make it Possible For Your Avatar Watch Game in 3D Virtual Stadium
I have been watching the ipl20 on youtube channel youtube.com/ipl and it LOOKS AMAZING.
And that got me thinking. If the live sync up of real world and virtual world could be done, then:
1. there could be theoretically infinite virtual stadiums where virtual crowd can check-in to watch the game.
2. Today I comment on the game via twitter hashtags. I also chat along with my friends about the game. But if my avatar and avatar of my friends were watching the game in a virtual world, then our avatars would be able hifi each other.
3. It would open up virtual good economy. My avatar can buy props to enjoy during the game....team cap, team jersey, placards and so on.
4. It would give me option of moving across different seats to get better view of the playground. And yes, better virtual seats will cost more.
A little bit of sync up between real world and virtual world:
1. Sensors on real world players capturing the movements
2. Sensors on the stumps, ball, and all other game equipment to capture movement
3. Feed data from these sensors to play its virtual counterpart in virtual world.
This is the same 'virtual camera' technology (wikipedia, popular mechanics)that James Cameron (Director - Avatar) has helped built (heard him on NPR's Fresh Air episode on 04/23) which gets input from the sensors attached to real world actor's body and that gets relayed in near real-time and those movements gets superimposed on virtual actors (avatars).
Now only if this technology can be stretched further, then it could change the future of watching sports altogether. And then our avatars can watch the games in virtual stadium.
And that got me thinking. If the live sync up of real world and virtual world could be done, then:
1. there could be theoretically infinite virtual stadiums where virtual crowd can check-in to watch the game.
2. Today I comment on the game via twitter hashtags. I also chat along with my friends about the game. But if my avatar and avatar of my friends were watching the game in a virtual world, then our avatars would be able hifi each other.
3. It would open up virtual good economy. My avatar can buy props to enjoy during the game....team cap, team jersey, placards and so on.
4. It would give me option of moving across different seats to get better view of the playground. And yes, better virtual seats will cost more.
A little bit of sync up between real world and virtual world:
1. Sensors on real world players capturing the movements
2. Sensors on the stumps, ball, and all other game equipment to capture movement
3. Feed data from these sensors to play its virtual counterpart in virtual world.
This is the same 'virtual camera' technology (wikipedia, popular mechanics)that James Cameron (Director - Avatar) has helped built (heard him on NPR's Fresh Air episode on 04/23) which gets input from the sensors attached to real world actor's body and that gets relayed in near real-time and those movements gets superimposed on virtual actors (avatars).
Now only if this technology can be stretched further, then it could change the future of watching sports altogether. And then our avatars can watch the games in virtual stadium.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
iPad or EBook Reader - Which is More Efficient for Information Consumption?
Reading is just one of the means to get information. Its incorrect to compare iPad with EBook Readers as they both are different categories. Apple, as usual, has created a new 'category of one' with iPad. iPad is not a netbook, is not a laptop and is not exactly a tablet. This new category is slowly going to extinct EBook Reader category or will make it so niche that it will continue to exist as a rare category, just like the category of vintage car owners.
Which of the above would be your choice for consuming information?
While the EBook Readers are selling their unique selling proposition of catering to serious book readers with their easy-on-eye e-ink technology giving real paper feel and is so light in weight that its not strain to hold it in your hand. the world is rapidly changing the way its consuming the information. And reading is just one of the means to get to that information. We have information overload and we need a medium to consume that information faster and efficiently, and reading text is not that medium. Video on the other hand is fast becoming such medium. Roughly, the equation goes 1000 words = 1 picture = 10 second of video. iPad (and devices like that) will become vehicle of choice to consume information in variety of formats as it gives different options for format - video, audio, picture, text - for consuming information. Slowly, the population of serious book reader will migrate from EBook Reader to iPad for viewing (yes, viewing and not reading) the same books, but in a different and a more pleasant manner.
iPad Sunset Mag Cover Spec from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
Which of the above would be your choice for consuming information?
While the EBook Readers are selling their unique selling proposition of catering to serious book readers with their easy-on-eye e-ink technology giving real paper feel and is so light in weight that its not strain to hold it in your hand. the world is rapidly changing the way its consuming the information. And reading is just one of the means to get to that information. We have information overload and we need a medium to consume that information faster and efficiently, and reading text is not that medium. Video on the other hand is fast becoming such medium. Roughly, the equation goes 1000 words = 1 picture = 10 second of video. iPad (and devices like that) will become vehicle of choice to consume information in variety of formats as it gives different options for format - video, audio, picture, text - for consuming information. Slowly, the population of serious book reader will migrate from EBook Reader to iPad for viewing (yes, viewing and not reading) the same books, but in a different and a more pleasant manner.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Truly Inspirational Work - Aravind Eye Care
Truly inspirational work targeting bottom of pyramid demographics (free eye surgeries or at most $2 when paid) and an efficiently run business. If you have 18 minutes to spare, I highly recommend to watch this video
Some highlights:
- "When you grow in spiritual consciousness, we identify all that is in the world. So there is no exploitation. It is ourselves we are helping. It is ourselves we are healing" - Dr. G. Venkataswamy (addressed as Dr. V) , who mortgaged all of his life savings, that too after retirement to start Aravind Eye Care.
- Dr. V's simple analogies behind executing such vision - if McDonald can train its employees all around the world to make burgers the exact same way, the same can be done with eye care and that's what Aravind Eye Care has done successfully.
- If ophthalmologists are less in number, make the process efficient to use the opthals time very very very efficiently....place the surgery tables side by side with patients ready to operate to avoid wasting surgeons time....nearly quadrupling surgeons productivity.
- provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution i.e. without providing free transportation, villagers will not come to hospitals for eye surgery. Providing free transportation to bring villagers to hospitals is equally important as operating on them.
- hire and train people to be eye technicians - 2 big side benefits: Firstly, it creates jobs and that too new category of jobs of eye technician. Secondly, eye technician reduces the load on surgeons by doing all the prep work - pre and post surgery.
Some highlights:
- "When you grow in spiritual consciousness, we identify all that is in the world. So there is no exploitation. It is ourselves we are helping. It is ourselves we are healing" - Dr. G. Venkataswamy (addressed as Dr. V) , who mortgaged all of his life savings, that too after retirement to start Aravind Eye Care.
- Dr. V's simple analogies behind executing such vision - if McDonald can train its employees all around the world to make burgers the exact same way, the same can be done with eye care and that's what Aravind Eye Care has done successfully.
- If ophthalmologists are less in number, make the process efficient to use the opthals time very very very efficiently....place the surgery tables side by side with patients ready to operate to avoid wasting surgeons time....nearly quadrupling surgeons productivity.
- provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution i.e. without providing free transportation, villagers will not come to hospitals for eye surgery. Providing free transportation to bring villagers to hospitals is equally important as operating on them.
- hire and train people to be eye technicians - 2 big side benefits: Firstly, it creates jobs and that too new category of jobs of eye technician. Secondly, eye technician reduces the load on surgeons by doing all the prep work - pre and post surgery.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
How to Improve LinkedIn - Feedback and New Feature Proposal
I have written a document about my feedback for improving LinkedIn and new feature proposal.
Summary
This paper contains my general feedback about LinkedIn and new feature proposal along with new theme. I consider myself a normal user of LinkedIn. It also contains new feature proposal from a perspective of a normal user who would like to see LinkedIn help him not only network professionally, but also advance professionally. The paper has two sections - Feedback and Proposed New Features. Section 'Feedback' provides my feedback and user experience of the site as it is today. Section 'Proposed New Features' provides how I would want to use LinkedIn to advance in my career.
You can read the rest of the paper here
Summary
This paper contains my general feedback about LinkedIn and new feature proposal along with new theme. I consider myself a normal user of LinkedIn. It also contains new feature proposal from a perspective of a normal user who would like to see LinkedIn help him not only network professionally, but also advance professionally. The paper has two sections - Feedback and Proposed New Features. Section 'Feedback' provides my feedback and user experience of the site as it is today. Section 'Proposed New Features' provides how I would want to use LinkedIn to advance in my career.
You can read the rest of the paper here
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Product Design Part 4: Help customers buy into your offering.
IKEA might have a great sofa at a very reasonable price. But if I decide to purchase that, I have to start worrying about getting it delivered to my home. However, if IKEA comes up with a free delivery option, it could lead to increased sales. It is akin to Amazon's free shipping for orders above $25. The cost of free shipping adds to the cost of the product indirectly. But, this added cost of free shipping, will bring in more revenue in the long run.
For eg: Endless.com is an online store (backed by Amazon.com) that sells shoes and handbags. Historically, people are not comfortable buying these items online because of obvious reasons (reasons being size of shoes that fit your feet, texture of handbag's leather, and so on). In order to help people overcome the mental block, endless.com gives $5 back to customers if they choose next day shipping.
Thus, if you are innovating a product where you are faced with hand holding your potential customer to cross over the hump (read mental block for trying your new innovative product), then you HAVE to consider that as a concrete REQUIREMENT for your product design. The cost of hand holding your customer to cross over the hump has to be considered while designing your product. If it means shaving off certain feature of your product to give away free shipping, then so be it. Because, it is free shipping that is going to convert visitors to customers. Once, they become comfortable with the concept of your new innovative product, and they buy into your concept (which is utmost important) then you can start reaping benefits from that sell.
For eg: Endless.com is an online store (backed by Amazon.com) that sells shoes and handbags. Historically, people are not comfortable buying these items online because of obvious reasons (reasons being size of shoes that fit your feet, texture of handbag's leather, and so on). In order to help people overcome the mental block, endless.com gives $5 back to customers if they choose next day shipping.
Thus, if you are innovating a product where you are faced with hand holding your potential customer to cross over the hump (read mental block for trying your new innovative product), then you HAVE to consider that as a concrete REQUIREMENT for your product design. The cost of hand holding your customer to cross over the hump has to be considered while designing your product. If it means shaving off certain feature of your product to give away free shipping, then so be it. Because, it is free shipping that is going to convert visitors to customers. Once, they become comfortable with the concept of your new innovative product, and they buy into your concept (which is utmost important) then you can start reaping benefits from that sell.
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